Automatic coupling



July 7, 1931. T. H. THOMAS ,2

AUTOMATIC COUPLING Filed 28. 2 2 Sheets-Sheet l WIHI INVENTOR THOMAS H.THOMAS ATTORN Y July 7, 1931. T. H. THOMAS 1,813,211

AUTOMATIC COUPLING Filed Jan; 28, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR THOMASHn'HoMAs Q BY ATTORNEY Patented July '7, 1931 mnpmis iH.THMAf5,;0F(EDGEWOOD;PENNSYLVANIA,-ASSiGNORtTO\TI-IE'WESTING-, vnoosnrarrwnnexnooMrANY, OF'WILMER-DING, PnNNsYr.vANIa,- A cannon-ArronoF'PrENNsy-nvmim o, 1 LAU'IOMAT'IC ccournI-NG amen; fired January 28,1-928. s'eriarnm zsoezs.

- gage the corresponding portion ofa counterpartcoupling by a relativelateral'movenient, and be rigidlylocked together by cam levers, onepivoted uponea'ch'couplin'g head" and bearing against' theothercounterpart cougaskets adapted'to' abut against corresponding gaskets ofthecounterpa-rt coupling head when the two are connected together.

automatically couple with a counterpart couplingwhen" two cars arebrought together,it is necessary 'to"m anually operate the cam levers,when it is desired to'uncouple, in order to'fr'elease' the locking ofthe coupling heads" and thus permit the coupling'heads" to separate,when the cars arepul'led apart.

The principal object of my invention is to provide [a train pipecoupling of the above tight lock type, and means by'which the cou- M30plings Wlll automatically 'uncouple when cars are 'separate'd-as'well asautomatically couple when cars are brought together.

' -'In the 'ac'companyin'g'drawings: Fig, 1 is U a side elevation ofan'automatic train pipe coupling embodying my invention and shownassociated with theusual car coupler installation Fig. 2 a plan view,partly in section, offthea'utomatic train pipe coupling; Fig. viewsimilar to Fig. 2,'but showing the parts as positioned when inthecoupled position; andFig. 4' an -end elevation of 'the constructionshown in'Fig. 1. v

The automatic train pipe coupling head 1 comprises:a-projectingnose 2-adapted to engage in" a 're'cess'3'of a counterpart coupling head andhooked portions 4 arranged above and below a plane surface 5, the planesurface 5 being provided with one or more openings for train pipecommunications and each hooked portion of one coupling head being plingihead. Trainpipepa'ssages are formed; inthefcouplin'g heads and areprovided wlth While a coupling ofthe above type will adapted to engage'arid interlock with'a corresponding hOOlC'POItlOIl of acounterpartvcoupling head.

T is oupling terpartcoupling'head. t

5 The lever'6 carries an arm 8'to a; rdd

'9" ispivbtally connected by a pin 10. At the -outer' end'of the "rod iss'e cured amember 11 and zinterposed between-said member and a finedabutmentlQ, is a coil spring 13. 'A guide pm '14, secured to the"coupling -head is adapted-to engage -in af sl ot provided 'in themember n I Carr ed by the shank of the coupling head and extendingrearwardly is tubular section l 5 which is slidably mounted on a stem16. The rear end *of'the stem ,isp'rovided with aballsection l'fwhich ismounted in-a corresponding socket portion carriedby a depending bracket18, the 'bracket be'ing -se- -m'aint5rined 'in position by springs 33which "support the train-pipe coupling from the car coupler 19. i i

A 'follo'wernollar 20' is slidably mounted on the rear portion of thesleeve andcarries a pin 21 which entends'through elongated slots22 inthe sleeve-15 and also'through an elongated slot 23 in the "stem 16. Afront follower collar :24:- is also mounted-on the sleeve 15* andcarries a pin 25 which extends through elongated slots 26 in the sleeve15 and through an elongated slot27 in the stem 16, 'A coil spring 28 isinterposed between the collars and 24 and the spring is adapted to becompressed upon movement ofeither collar relative to the other.Saids'prin'g is also under initial compression which tends to hold thepartsin the position shown in Fig. 2, with the pins21 and engaging theextreme ends of the corresponding guide "slots. j

At' theiitrontend, the stem' '16 is provided with an'extended portion29having an elongated slot 30 and-enga'giI-1glinesaidslot is a ;-U shapedlink {31' which 'is 'pivotally coni headis provided WltlP-BQPlV- oted'cam'or latch lever 6 having a carn' 'surrace for en a 'in 'a-curvedface? of'a eou nected to a lever arm 32 carried by the cam lever 6.

The train pipe coupling 1 is so positioned longitudinally with respectto the car coupler 19 that the center coupling link B of the train pipecoupling is normally in advance of the center coupling line A of the carcoupler 19, as shown in Fig. 1, for example, the distance between thelines A and B when the couplings are not coupled may be one and one-halfinches.

In operation, when cars are brought together for coupling up, theprojecting nose 2 of one train pipe coupling enters the recess 3 of thecounterpart coupling and in this movement, the cam lever 6 is forcedrearwardly by the nose 2. The hooked portions 4 of the two couplingsbecome interlocked through the relative lateral and longitudinalmovement and the plane faces 5 meet, so that the train pipe openingstherein are connected together. The cam lever 6 of one coupling is thenmoved forward by the pressure of spring 13, so that the cam face of eachcam lever engages the curved face 7 of the counterpart coupling heads,so as to lock the two coupling heads tightly together.

As the train pipe coupling on each car moves rearwardly relatively tothe car coupler 19 on the car, the two car couplers engage and interlockin the usual manner, the car couplers being in the fully coupledposition when the train pipe coupling has moved so that the center lineB of the train pipe coupling coincides with the center line A of the carcoupler.

During this movement, the sleeve portion is moved rearwardly and carrieswith it the pin and the follower collar 24. The rear follower 20 is heldagainst rearward movement by engagement of the pin 21 with the stem 16,so that the spring 28 is compressed and the link 31 assumes anintermediate position in the slot 30, as shown in Fig. 3, rearwardmovement of the sleeve 15 being permitted by the slots 22.

The slot is of sufficient length to permit of a further rearwardmovement of the coupling head, for example, an inch and onehalf, so asto allow for variations and wear of the parts.

Vhen cars are separated, the car couplers 19 are first unlocked topermit uncoupling in the usual manner and as the cars separate,

the train pipe couplings remain coupled and locked together until thecars llHNS moved apart sufficiently to first cause the parts to assumethe positions shown in Fig. 2' and then. as the cars move further apart,the arm 32 is pulled in a clockwise direction by the pull of the link 31engaging the end of the slot 30, so that the cam lever 6 is moved in aclockwise direction to effect the automatic unlockin g of the train pipecouplings.

After the train pipe couplings separate,

the spring 28 will return the parts to normal position ready forcoupling up, as shown in Fig. 2.

WVhen cars are coupled together, the car couplers 19 being lockedtogether, relative movement of the train pipe couplings such as wouldeffect the unlocking of the .train pipe couplings is prevented, and itis only when the car couplers are unlocked and the cars are permitted toseparate, that the train pipe couplings automatically unlock andseparate.

While one illustrative embodiment of the invention has been described indetail, it is not my intention to limit its scope to that embodiment orotherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters- Patent, is

1. The combination with a train pipe coupling having a tubular extendedportion and a locking lever for locking the coupling in its coupledposition, of a member slidably mounted in said extended portion andprovided with a slot, and a link connected to said lever and engaging insaid slot and movable in said slot relatively to said member.

2. The combination with a train pipe coupling having an extended portionand a locking lever for locking the coupling in its coupled position, ofa member on which said extended portion is slidably mounted, meansoperatively connecting said lever to said member, followers, a springinterposed between said followers, and a pin carried by each follower,said pins extending through slots in said member and said extendedportion.

3. The combination with a train pipe coupling having a rearwardlyextending sleeve section and a locking lever for locking the coupling inits coupled position, of a stem mounted in said sleeve section andhaving one end anchored to the car and having a slot at the other end, alink working in said slot and operatively connected to said lockinglever. follower plates mounted on said sleeve section, pins connected tosaid plates and extending through slots in said stem, and a springinterposed between said plates.

l. The combination with a train pipe coupling having a tubular extendedportion and a locking lever for locking the coupling in its coupledposition, of a member slidably mounted in said extended portion andhaving one end anchored to the car and the other end provided with aslot, and a link connected to said lever, and movably mounted in saidslot.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

THOMAS H. THOMAS.

